He hung up, leaving me feeling slightly left out. I wasn’t the reservation witch and certainly didn’t have the power or the knowledge to counter the bitch’s spells, but I really wanted to be out there with them.
I sighed and put the phone back on the bedside table. Once I’d stripped off, I climbed into bed and went to sleep.
And for the first time in ages, dreamed of a future filled with happiness rather than death and destruction.
* * *
To say the three men arrived at the café the next morning looking less than happy would be the understatement of the year.
“Let me guess,” I said, as I closed the door behind them. “She wasn’t there; only the tracker spell was.”
“She had an escape route all ready.” Monty dropped heavily onto a chair. “We only discovered it after we’d peeled back her spells and went in after her.”
I hobbled around the counter and began making coffee. “You didn’t check for other exits?”
“Of course we did,” Aiden said. “Problem was, she’d already left by the time we’d arrived—something we didn’t know until we entered the cavern itself.”
“Can’t you use a piece of her magic to track her with?” Belle came out of the kitchen carrying plates stacked with bacon and eggs. “You said you peeled it back, not destroyed it.”
“That’s what we’re intending,” Ashworth said. “But the laddie here insisted we wait until the sun had fully risen.”
“Makes sense,” Belle said. “When the sun is at its strongest, she’ll be at her weakest.”
“That’s exactly my reasoning,” Monty exclaimed.
“Your reasoning,” Ashworth said, amusement evident, “has more to do with that rumbling stomach of yours than the best time to attack the Manananggal, and we all know it.”
Monty grinned and didn’t deny it. As Belle returned to the kitchen to grab the rest of the food, Aiden took the tray of drinks from me and carried it over to the table.
“How are we going to tackle her capture?” Belle placed a stack of toast on the table, then plonked down beside Monty.
“We?” he said, eyebrows rising.
“It was a metaphorical we,” Belle said. “Curiosity, not stupidity.”
“Except if I know my cousin, she wants in.”
I smiled faintly as I made myself a bacon sandwich. “She certainly does, but she’s also aware that if things go wrong, she can’t run.”
“She can’t?” Monty glanced down. “What happened to your leg?”
“A dead man exploded. Aiden didn’t tell you?”
“That he was dead, yes, but not that he’d exploded. How the hell did that happen?”
I quickly updated him and then added, “She’s probably got more than one grenade at hand, so you’ll have to watch for physical traps as much as magical.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time a ghoul has tried to blow me up,” Ashworth said. “I daresay it won’t be the last.”
“That’s undoubtedly true,” Monty agreed, his tone grave but his eyes twinkling, “Especially given how old and crotchety you are.”
“You, laddie, need to respect your elders more, or they’ll box you around the ears.” He glanced at me. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything from Canberra?”
I shook my head. “Ruby said it’d be a few days before the decision is made. You’re more likely to hear something than us right now.”
“Sophie tends not to say much—”
“I wish that ran in families,” Monty murmured.
“—when it comes to active cases,” Ashworth continued, obviously deciding to ignore him. “Which in this case suggests they’re taking it on. It’ll have to be ratified before the full board before you’re advised though.”
“Ruby said as much.” I bit into my sandwich and munched on it for a bit. “I’m worried about Clayton, though. Anger consumes him, and all he wants is revenge. I don’t think whatever control my father has on him will last beyond the annulment.”
“The Society has people keeping an eye on him, lass,” Ashworth said. “The minute he makes a move to leave Canberra, we’ll know about it. It’ll give us plenty of time to prepare.”
But would those preparations be enough? Every instinct screamed no, but maybe that was just the fear of the sixteen-year-old seeping through yet again.
Aiden slipped his hand over my thigh and lightly squeezed. My gaze met his, and deep in those depths, I saw a promise—one to keep me safe no matter what.
But that’s exactly what I feared—that his life might be forfeit right alongside Belle’s if Clayton did make it back here. Not only because they were the two most important people in my life, but also because Belle had taken Clayton’s manhood and Aiden had claimed what Clayton had been denied—me.
Aiden’s phone rang. He glanced at it and then rose. “Sorry, have to answer this.”
As he moved to the other side of the room, Monty said, “I’m betting that’s the report of another body.”
“That’s a bet no one in this room would take,” Ashworth said. “The Manananggal had plenty time after escaping us last night to find someone to feed on.”
“Was last night’s bridal party relocated?” I asked.
“Yes,” Monty said, “and Aiden triggered her spell rather than the groom, so she won’t be able to find them.”
I took a sip of coffee. “Do you think the spell is the reason she knew you were after her? It’s not like you had time to nullify it last night.”
“Doubtful,” Ashworth said. “As it’s not in an active state.”
It was a comment that had me glancing at Aiden’s right hand; spell strings still clung to his fingers. I frowned. “Why haven’t you removed it?”
“Because if we can’t track her this afternoon,” Monty said, “we may have to use him as bait.”
“You’d better keep him safe if you do, or I’ll cut off something vital.”
“My future wife might not be too pleased with that,” he commented, shooting a clearly amused look Belle’s way.
“I was talking about access to free breakfasts, but I’ll happily shift focus to your manhood if you want.” I glanced past him as Aiden returned. His expression suggested Monty’s guess had been spot-on. “Another murder?”
He nodded. “And it’s in
